Andy Kim recently became the first Korean-American elected to the Senate. He’s also on his way to becoming New Jersey’s first Asian-American senator. Obviously, this is a great accomplishment and historical event. But what will Andy Kim bring to the table in the Senate?
Who is Andy Kim?
Andy Kim is a New Jersey representative who won the election for our Senate this year. He is a 42 year old Democrat, who’s from South Jersey. His parents are Korean immigrants and he will be the third-youngest member in office. Andy Kim also cleaned up after the debris left by the January 6th Capitol Riot. His background is already appealing to the masses. Now, let’s look at the issues he has addressed and will hopefully continue to address as a politician.
Healthcare
As stated on andykim.com, “Nobody should die or face bankruptcy because they can’t afford to visit their doctor”. It is a true statement since healthcare is so expensive, not just in New Jersey, but in all of America. So far, Kim has supported legislation to lower prescription drug prices, protect people with pre-existing conditions, allow Medicare to settle lower drug prices, complete out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year for seniors, complete insulin’s cost at $35 per month, extend Medicare to include insurance for dental, vision, and hearing, protect and guarantee access to reproductive healthcare, supply permanent funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Plan, support rural community health centers, change the tax system, and facilitate receiving home health care for seniors.
Small Businesses
According to andykim.com, small businesses “invest in our local communities, create jobs, and become part of the fabric of our daily lives.” Clearly, small businesses are very important and deserve their needs to be met. Andy Kim has voted and funded for The Microloan Improvement Act, The CARES Act, The American Rescue Plan, BUILD Veterans Businesses Act, and The Put Our Neighbors to Work Act.
Environment
Andy Kim believes that we “need to take bold steps today to protect our environment, cut pollution, and make our communities more resilient to extreme weather.” These are important environmental issues that aren’t taken on as much as they should be, especially when it comes to dealing with extreme weather. Kim supported the Inflation Reduction Act. Not just because it is the largest investment in America’s energy independence and job creation in new, green sectors, though. The Inflation Reduction Act fights against climate change by investing in the US’s energy production, investing in agriculture, coastal restoration, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and transportation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030, setting aside a sum $1,000 a year in energy costs for families, and production of gainful jobs.
Families
A father of two kids, Andy Kim works hard to “help parents have the tools they need to support their families, access good-paying jobs, and secure a brighter future for their kids.” His parents moved to New Jersey to give him and his sister a better future and that is exactly what Andy Kim wants to do for families here. As a representative, he has endorsed The Inflation Reduction Act, efforts to expand free meals for kids from 2022 to 2023, The American Rescue Plan, The CHIPS and Science Act, and laws that reduce costs for veterans and service members.
Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families
Some of you reading may not know this, but Andy Kim was a civilian strategic advisor to Generals in Afghanistan and he has “seen firsthand the sacrifices the members of our military make for us.” Like many, Kim has also oversaw the difficulties veterans face when returning to civilian life. To combat these issues, he has voted to raise pay for service members per year, double funded for veteran suicide prevention, made sure to connect veterans to jobs, arranged efforts so that veterans don’t end up homeless, advanced TRICARE and veterans’ access to healthcare, made legal services better for women veterans, and invested in childcare for military families through augmenting the Basic Allowance for Housing calculation, extending the Basic Needs Allowance, and a larger authorization of $301 million for military construction.
Reproductive Rights
Reproductive rights are another important problem to Andy Kim, who is pro-choice. The overturn of Roe v. Wade put millions of lives at risk, taking away the right to decide if/when to have kids. During the start of the Dobbs ruling, Kim voted for two bills to progress. Those two bills were the Women’s Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act.
Getting Rid of Corruption
Andy Kim is set to take Senator Bob Menendez’s position soon. If you don’t know why Bob Menendez is being removed from office, it’s because he was found guilty of accepting bribes through gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz. Of course, this event caused an uproar in distrust among New Jersey residents toward the government. Andy Kim wants to end that. As a member of Congress, he had created laws that stop high-ranking government officials from lobbying, buying, selling, owning individual stocks, and serving on corporate boards after leaving office. He has also helped promote laws to remove dark money from politics, went against Congressional pay raises, brought in bills that energize national service, foster volunteerism, and encouraged more Americans to serve the US, and attempted to extend voting rights.
LGBTQ+
Andy Kim believes in equal rights and safety for all Americans, including LGBTQ+ people. It is a known fact that members of the LGBTQ+ community have long faced discrimination and aren’t guaranteed the same rights as others in this country. Andy Kim has cosponsored the Equality Act and openly opposed the transgender service ban in the military and supported the Women Veterans’ HealthCare Accountability Act to advocate for LGBTQ+ veterans and service members. He has also cosponsored the Global Respect Act and the GLOBAL Act.
Gun Violence
Gun violence has been an issue in this country for years and we have yet to solve it. That’s why Andy Kim ultimately wants to put an end to the madness. He voted for the bipartisan Safer Communities Act to contribute in proceeding the largest sensible gun safety alterations in legislation. Kim cosponsored the Assault Weapons Ban because he has handled gun violence as a national security threat and he is one of the original co-sponsors of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act.
Moving Forward
Fundamentally, there’s no way for us to see what will happen in the future, so all we can do is hope that soon-to-be Senator Andy Kim will keep his promises. And if he doesn’t, we can always reelect. Nonetheless, as a Korean-American from New Jersey, it does fill me with pride to see someone in the Senate who looks like me and cares about matters that actually affect our state.
Image Credit: https://mosaic.nj.com/news/2024/11/kim-makes-history-becoming-first-korean-american-elected-to-the-us-senate.html